Samoa’s Ava Exports is looking promising, with exports expected to increase in the next couple of years. Ava exports was Samoa’s second largest export commidity from 1998 to 2001 until some European countries led by Germany imposed restrictions on the Pacific Kava Trade. Samoa’s exports of Ava in 1998 was just under $20m.

Since closing shop this year, Yazaki Samoa Ltd has left many former employees searching for jobs; a problem that Ah Liki Investments Ltd has come to aid by opening its doors and granting employment to those affected by this closure.

The smiles on their faces said it all. Although many of them were in pain, W.B.O heavyweight champion, Lupesoliai Laauli Joseph Parker, brought temporary relief when he paid an unexpected visit on Friday.

The Samoa Victim Support Group has been awarded the Samoa Public Service Innovation & Excellence Team Award for ‘Most Effective Collaborative Partnership’, during the celebration of the Public Service Day.

The Samoa Cocoa Industry Development Initiative (S.C.I.D.I.) funded by the New Zealand government, had a very busy week last week. The Samoa Cocoa Industry Association (S.C.I.A.) Establishment Committee met for the first time to discuss the incorporation timetable and the future scope for S.C.I.A.

The 8 year old accepted her mother’s award from the Public Service Commission as Mrs. Vaatolu is in Savai’i on official business. For Vaatolu’s outstanding services, she is the recipient of the Community Participation Initiative Award.

While the celebration of Samoa’s culture and traditions as per the Teuila Festival for 2017 has come to an end, the empowered nofotane women used the festival to enjoy the socio-economic returns from being empowered.

“I think what my ministerial colleagues did not know is that the first guy who was directed to come with a gun at me, was a young man, married to a girl of my family, and I think that was a factor that was not known. And was why the gun was removed from him and given to the son of the minister to execute…” –P.M. Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi

“Taking the initiative” sums up the second livelihood training session for the economic empowerment of nofotane women at the Safata constituency. Centered at Fusi Safata, the training catered for women from Salamumu, Sa’anapu, Sataoa, Fusi and Tafitoala.

Well all good things come to an end.
It has been a long and adventurous journey in China. Following five weeks of unswerving lectures, practical workshops and field visits, participants have successfully completed the training on Paper Cutting and Traditional Folk Handicraft Production for Developing Countries 2017.

As the livelihood training of nofotane women rolls out in village communities over the next 12 months, Samoa Victim Support Group, in partnership with U.N. Women Fund for Gender Equality, will share with you ‘The Empowered Nofotane Women Stories.’

Let’s start with a couple of questions.
First: Why is it that it looks as if certain Cabinet Ministers of the government of Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, are in the habit of stopping now and then to look, as if there is something out there in the past that is giving their consciences sleepless days and sleepless nights?

“ The Government is facing a new threat. It comes in the form of anonymous bloggers using fake names to attack senior Government leaders – including Prime Minister Tuilaepa – on Facebook and other social media sites. What do you think the Government should do? Would you support the Government regulating the use of social media sites – and to some extent blocking them altogether – like they do in China? Nefertiti Matatia asked the public in today’s Street Talk and this is what they said:

THE BEST
A big fa’amalo to the skilled and courageous E.P.C. staff who braved the winds and rain to restore power from broken and dangerous power lines on Cross Island Road on Wednesday night in pitch darkness.